Grain storage and shipping containers and method of using the same

ABSTRACT

A container for receiving and retaining loose bulk grain from point of harvest to destination comprises a generally rectangular box-like receptacle having side and end walls, a bottom wall, and an open upper end with a closure. First airflow port means is provided in at least one side wall and second airflow port means is provided in an end wall. Bulk grain is loaded into a multitude of such containers and the closures are secured in place. A fan is connected to one of the port means to force a stream of atmospheric air in through one port means and out through the other, the air flowing through substantially all of the body of grain in the receptacle and removing excess moisture. The grain is stored in the receptacles as long as necessary and then shipped in the original receptacles to any desired location for processing. Means are provided to interlock groups of containers on the transport means to prevent any inadvertent displacement of individual containers.

United States Patent Danford GRAIN STORAGE AND SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME Inventor: Jack De Wayne Danford, Denver,

Colo.

Assignees: Jack D. Danford; H. II. Champlin,

both of Denver, Colo.

Filed: July 15, 1974 Appl. No.: 488,264

July 8, 197 5 [57] ABSTRACT A container for receiving and retaining loose bulk grain from point of harvest to destination comprises a generally rectangular box-like receptacle having side and end walls, a bottom wall, and an open upper end with a closure. First airflow port means is provided in at least one side wall and second airflow port means is provided in an end wall. Bulk grain is loaded into a multitude of such containers and the closures are secured in place. A fan is connected to one of the port means to force a stream of atmospheric air in through one port means and out through the other, the air flowing through substantially all of the body of grain in the receptacle and removing excess moisture. The grain is stored in the receptacles as long as necessary and then shipped in the original receptacles to any desired location for processing. Means are provided to interlock groups of containers on the transport means to prevent any inadvertent displacement of individual containers.

16 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures GRAIN STORAGE AND SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention lies in the field of storing and shipping grain in loose bulk form and is directed to means and methods for initially loading, storing, and delivering with a minimum amount of handling and transferring of the cargo and without damage to the grain itself.

The conventional systems for bringing grain, such as corn, wheat, and the like, from the point of harvest to the destination for processing are complicated and expensive and involve a substantial amount of damage to the grain. They also provide no suitable way of drying the grain to the desired level and protecting it from again picking up undesired moisture.

Ordinarily, the grain is first loaded onto a truck in the field, after which it is dumped into a silo or other storage device. From there it is loaded onto trucks for shipping to railroad cars where it is again loaded onto the cars. At the destination it is again dumped. In the event that the destination is overseas, the railroad cars must be taken to a port where the grain is then reloaded into a ship. At the foreign port, the grain is again loaded from the ship onto other vehicles and transferred to a final destination for another dumping operation. With each loading or reloading, some of the grain is crushed and damaged, so that by the time it reaches its destination it is not of extremely high quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The means and methods of the present invention overcome the various difficulties and disadvantages mentioned above and provide a simple and reliable system for storing and transporting grain from the point of harvest to the final destination and for protecting the quality of the grain during the elapsed period of time.

Generally stated, the system of the invention comprises initially loading the grain in the field into individual containers of substantial size, storing the grain in the containers for any required period of time, which may be several months, reducing the moisture in the grain during the storage period, and delivering the grain to its final destination still held in the original containers.

Each container comprises a generally rectangular box-like receptacle having side and end walls, a bottom wall, and an open upper end provided with suitable closure means. First airflow port means is provided in at least one side wall near the top and second airflow port means is provided in an end wall near the bottom. When the grain is loaded and the container is moved to its storage location, a fan is connected to one of the port means to produce a flow of atmospheric air in through one of the port means and out through the other. The air spreads out in the container and flows through substantially the entire body of the cargo between the port means to remove the excess moisture from the grain. This treatment is necessary because at the time of harvesting the grain is moist, and mildew and spoilage will soon occur unless it is periodically aerated and dried until such time as it becomes completely dry. A moisture probe may be inserted through a wall of the container into the midportion of the grain to indicate the level of the remaining moisture. The ventilating treatment may then be continued or renewed if it is found to be necessary The vertical margins of the side and end walls are joined to vertical columns to form reinforced corners, and the columns are configured so that the upper and lower ends nest with vertically adjacent column ends. Registered lateral apertures are formed through the ends to receive locking pins which prevent vertical separation fo the stacked containers.

Hoisting eyes are secured to the corners of the containers, and when a group of containers is arranged in endwise and lateral adjacency, other locking pins are inserted through adjacent eyes to retain the group in a substantially unitary assembly and prevent inadvertent displacement of any of the containers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various other advantages and features of novelty will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic pperspective view of the container including the ventilation components;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of the moisture probe inserted through the container wall;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an end portion of the container',

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modification;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of two superimposed containers;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic plan view of a group of interlocked containers; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a group of interlocked containers.

DESCRIPTION OF PEREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A container incorporating many features of the invention is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, in which a receptacle 10 includes side walls 12 and 14, end walls 16 and 18, a bottom wall 20, and closure members 22 and 24 pivotally connected to the upper margins of the side walls by hinges 26 and provided with slide bolts 28 and eyes 30 for securing members 22 and 24 in closed position across the open upper end of the receptacle. First airflow port means are provided at the upper portions only of at least one and preferably both of the side walls and comprise a plurality of elongate narrow horizontal slots 32 through the wall formed by piercing the wall and bending out the vanes 34. The slots extend along the major port of the length of the wall to permit the flow of air into or out of the upper part of the receptacle throughout its length. The downwardly and outwardly sloping vanes protect the contents of the receptacle against the ingress of rain, and screens 36 are mounted on the inner walls faces to prevent small sized grain from working out through the slots.

Second airflow port means is provided in end wall 16 in the form of aperture 38 in the lower portion of the wall below the level of the major portion of the body of grain to be carried in the receptacle. A tube 40 is located adjacent to the bottom wall 20 and extends substantially the full length of the receptacle generally parallel to the side walls and preferably substantially on the axis of the bottom wall, and is secured thereto by elongate mounting means 42, FIGS. 3 and 4, which may be a plastic mass having fillets 44 to prevent grain from lodging beneath the tube. Narrow elongate slits 46 are formed through the tube wall around the exposed portions of its periphery and along most of its length to provide for flow of air into and out of the tube. The first end of the tube extends through aperture 38 to the exterior and is secured to wall 16 by brackets 48. In the modification of FIG. 5, the tube is formed of an elongate inverted U-shaped channel 50 having elongate side flanges 52 secured to the bottom wall by rivets or other conventional means, and a short tube, not shown, may be inserted in its end to extend out through aperture 38. Channel 50 is provided with elongate slits for air flow through its wall and in all respects it is equivalent to tube 40. In either form, the tube may abut imperforate wall 12 or stop short and have a partial or total closure to prevent excessive air flow.

Power operated means to produce a stream of air flowing through the port means and through the cargo of grain comprises a housing 54 sized and shaped to telescopingly engage the exterior extension or mounting tube 56 of tube 40 and detachably held in position by clamp 58, and a fan 60 mounted in the outer end of the housing by brackets 62 and driven by motor 64. The fan may be arranged to draw air out of tube 40 or force it into the tube. It is presently preferred to draw air out of the tube.

After the receptacle has been loaded with grain and the closure means fastened, it is transported to a storage location where it remains until the time for shipment arrives. The fan assembly is then connected to extension 56 and placed in operation. Ambient atmospheric air is drawn in through the entire lengths of the first port means at the top of the cargo, spreads out across the width of the receptacle and flows down through the grain, entering slits 46 all along the length of the tube, and then flows out through housing 54. The air flow thus contacts the major part of the body of grain and withdraws moisture therefrom. The small part of the grain which misses the flow gradually gives up its moisture in an equalizing operation, and continu ation of the air flow gradually removes this moisture also. The fan may be operated continuously or intermittently for long periods of time until the desired result is acheived. and may be activated again at a later time if the grain picks up additional moisture during long storage. The fan may, of course, be connected and disconnected readily so that it may be used with many different containers.

Provision is made for checking the moisture content of the grain from time to time. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, several flanged apertures 66 are formed in side walls 12 and 14 through which a probe 68 may be inserted well into the body of grain to indicate its moisture content. A flanged cap 70 is pivotally mounted to the side wall at 72 to cover aperture 66 when the probe is not in use. The cap protects the contents against rain and the like and also prevents loss of grain through the aperture.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, the upright corners of the receptacle are formed by providing upright hollow columns 74 of rectangular cross section to which the side and end wall margins are secured. in FIG. 3 it will be seen that the end walls 16 and 18 are secured to the inner confronting faces 76 of the two adjacent columns to define a shallow channel 78 opening outward, and the horizontal length of mounting tube 56 is no greater than the depth of channel 78. Thus the mounting tube is protected by columns 74 from damage by longitudinally adjacent containers In FIG. 6 a first receptacle or container 10 is shown in end elevation standing on a platform or deck 80 of a transport vehicle with a second container 10 superim' posed over it in vertical registry. The lower end 82 of each column may be flush with the bottom of the container or extend downward a short distance to form a foot as shown. The upper end 84 extends upward a short distance above the top of the container and is necked down to such an extent that its outer lateral dimensions are less than the inner lateral dimensions of the remainder of the column to permit it to be nested within foot 82 of the column above it. Laterally extending apertures 86 are formed through ends 82 and 84 in positions to be in registry when the columns are nested as indicated in broken lines. Locking pins 88 are passed through the apertures and secure the two containers against vertical separation.

FIG. 7 very schematically shows in plan view a group of containers 10 stacked vertically and arranged in both endwise and lateral adjacency. Upper and lower hoisting eyes 90 are secured to each corner of each container to be engaged by the hooks of hoist cables for raising, lowering, and maneuvering the containers from time to time. The eyes extend fore and aft away from the container in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the end wall, and are formed with laterally directed apertures 92.

The containers are adjusted until all of the eyes at the confronting ends of adjacent containers overlap as shown and all of the apertures 92 are in registry. A long locking pin 94 is then passed through all of the apertures in one row, and a nut 96 is threaded onto the end of each pin. The handle 98 on each pin and nut 96 cooperate to serve as abutments to prevent lateral separation of the containers, and the pins operate in shear to prevent endwise separation. It will be understood that the containers are also stacked vertically and the columns locked by pins 88 to prevent vertical separation. Thus the entire group is interlocked into a substantially unitary assembly which prevents inadvertent displacement of any container from the group in any direction.

Another modification is very diagrammatically illustrated in side elevation in FIG. 8. In this form the containers are stacked vertically and arranged in endwise adjacency but there is not an additional group in lateral adjacency. The columns 74 arae locked by pins 88 against vertical separation as before. However, in this form, the hoisting eyes 100 extend laterally away from the container in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the side wall and the apertures 102 of the eyes are directed fore and aft parallel to the side wall. Since they are in the same location on each container the adjacent eyes are in registry, and bolts 104 with heads 106 are passed through adjacent eyes. Nuts 108 are threaded on the bolts to lock adjacent containers together.

Since the containers are large and sturdy, they serve a dual purpose when grain is shipped overseas. Instead of being returned empty, they can be loaded with quantities of small articles, packaged or unpackaged which are delicate and valuable, such as electronic appliances and the like, which are then delivered to ports or cities close to their original point of departure.

What is claimed is:

1. A grain storage and shipping container which is stackable with similar containers for transporting grain from one location to another, said shipping container comprising:

a receptacle for receiving and retaining a cargo of grain in loose bulk form; the receptacle being in the general form of a rectan gular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means to overlie the open upper end of the receptacle in parallel relation to said bottom wall when closed so that another container can be stacked on top of said container; first airflow port means extending along the major portion of the length of at least one side wall in the vicinity of its upper margin and opening through the side wall to the exterior atmosphere; second airflow port means extending through a lower portion of an end wall below the level of the major portion of the cargo to be carried and opening to the exterior atmosphere, said second port means being connectable on the exterior of said container to power operated means; duct means mounted adjacent to the bottom wall and extending generally parallel to the side wall containing the first port means and flow-connected to the second port means; the duct means being perforated at various points along its length to permit the flow of air between its interior and exterior; so that the power operated means can generate a continuous stream of atmospheric air flowing in through one of said port means and out through the other to withdraw excess moisture from the grain and transfer it to the exterior atmosphere; the relative arrangement and spacing between the first and second port means serving to define a general flow path between them encompassing substantially all of the grain in the cargo. 2. A container as claimed in claim 1; in which the duct means is an elongate tube secured to the bottom wall of the receptacle and extending substantially the full length of the receptacle. 3. A container as claimed in claim I; in which the duct means is in the form of an inverted U-shaped channel having lateral flanges along its length; the flanges being secured to the bottom wall, and the channel extending for the major portion of the length of the receptacle. 4. A container as claimed in claim 1; in which the first port means extend along the major portion of the length of each of the opposed side walls in the vicinity of their upper margins; and the duct means extend substantially along the longitudinal axis of the bottom wall parallel to the side walls. 5. A container as claimed in claim 1; further including:

said power operated means and a housing detachably connected to the second port means, and a fan mounted in the housing. 6. A container as claimed in claim 5; in which a mounting tube is fixed to the second port means and extends outward from the end wall for telescoping connection to the fan housing. 7. A container as claimed in claim 1; in which at least one test port is formed in the side wall of the receptacle to permit insertion of a moisture testing probe;

and a movable cap is provided to cover the port and prevent loss of grain and protect the cargo against inclement weather.

8. A grain storage and shipping container which is stackable with similar containers for transporting grain from one location to another, said shipping container comprising:

a receptacle for receiving and retaining a cargo of grain in loose bulk form;

the receptacle being in the general form of a rectangular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means to overlie the open upper end of the receptacle in parallel relation to said bottom wall when closed so that another container can be stacked on top of said container;

first airflow port means in the upper portion of at least one side wall;

second airflow port means in the lower portion of one end wall;

and a mounting tube fixed to the second port means and extending outward from the end wall for telescoping connection with the housing of a ventilating fan;

and an upright column of rectangular cross section at each corner of the receptacle;

at least the end wall containing the second port means being secured to the inner confronting faces of the two adjacent columns to define a shallow channel opening outward;

the horizontal length of the mounting tube being no greater than the depth of the channel for protection from damage by longitudinally adjacent containers during shipping.

9. A grain storage and shipping container comprising:

a receptacle for receiving and retaining a cargo of grain in loose bulk form;

the receptacle being in the general form of a rectangular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means overlying the upper end of the receptacle;

and an upright hollow column at each corner of the receptacle secured to the upright margins of the side walls and end walls;

the upper end of each column extending above the top of the receptacle and being necked down to such extent that its outer lateral dimensions are less than the inner lateral dimensions of the remainder of the column to permit nesting insertion into the lower end of the corresponding column of a receptacle stacked upon the first receptacle in vertical relation;

laterally extending apertures formed through the upper and lower ends of each column located to register with the corresponding apertures in the columns of vertically adjacent receptacles to receive locking pins for securing a plurality of receptacles in vertically assembled relation;

and hoisting eyes secured to each corner of the receptacle and located to register with the corresponding hoisting eyes at the corners of horizontally adjacent receptacles to receive locking pins for securing a plurality of receptacles in horizontally assembled relation.

10. A container as claimed in claim 9; in which the hoisting eyes extend fore and aft away from the receptacle in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the end wall.

I]. A container as claimed in claim 9; in which the hoisting eyes extend laterally away from the receptacle in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the side wall.

12. An assembly of interlocked cargo containers comprising:

a group of substantially identical receptacles, each in the general form of a rectangular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means overlying the upper end of the receptacle, and an upright column at each corner secured to the upright margins of the side walls and end walls;

the upper and lower ends of each column being formed for overlapping nesting relation with a vertically adjacent column and provided with registering lateral apertures to receive locking pins;

lifting eyes at the corners of each receptacle located to register with corresponding lifting eyes on horizontally adjacent receptacles to receive locking pins;

the group including at least two receptacles in endwise adjacency and at least two additional receptacles mounted in vertically stacked relation on the first two receptacles;

locking pins passing through the registered apertures of the vertically nested columns to prevent vertical separation of the receptacles;

and locking pins passing through the registered adjacent hoisting eyes to prevent horizontal separation of the receptacles.

13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12, further including at least a second group of receptacles substantially identical to those of the first group, arranged in the same relation and located in sidewise adjacency with the first group;

the hoisting eyes on each receptacle extending fore and aft away from the receptacle in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the end wall and with the apertures in the eyes of adjacent receptacles arranged in lateral registry;

and elongate locking pins extending laterally through all of the eyes of each row and provided with abutments at their ends to prevent lateral separation of the groups of receptacles.

14. A method of handling grain in loose bulk form from harvest in the field to delivery at a final destination, comprising:

providing a plurality of ventilatable containers having open upper ends for loading and discharge and closure means for the upper ends;

loading the loose grain in the field directly into the containers and securing the closure means in position;

storing the grain in the containers for predetermined periods of time;

periodically forcing streams of atmospheric air to flow through the container and through at least the major portion of the body of grain in each container for extended periods of time to remove excess moisture from the grain, repeating the procedure until the moisture content is reduced to a desired level;

loading the containers onto transport means;

and delivering the containers to their ultimate destination, with the cargos remaining in their original containers from initial loading in the field to arrival at their ultimate destination.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14; including periodically inserting a moisture-indicating probe through the wall of each container to determine the level of moisture content and the possible need for further treatment.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14; including arranging the containers in groups on the transport means;

each group comprising at least two sets;

each set comprising at least two lower containers in endwise adjacency and at least two upper contain ers in endwise adjacency mounted directly on the lower containers;

the sets being arranged in lateral adjacency;

and interlocking the adjacent corners of the containers to produce a substantially unitary assembly and prevent inadvertent displacement of any container in any direction from the other containers in the assembly. 

1. A grain storage and shipping container which is stackable with similar containers for transporting grain from one location to another, said shipping container comprising: a receptacle for receiving and retaining a cargo of grain in loose bulk form; the receptacle being in the general form of a rectangular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means to overlie the open upper end of the receptacle in parallel relation to said bottom wall when closed so that another container can be stacked on top of said container; first airflow port means extending along the major portion of the length of at least one side wall in the vicinity of its upper margin and opening through the side wall to the exterior atmosphere; second airflow port means extending through a lower portion of an end wall below the level of the major portion of the cargo to be carried and opening to the exterior atmosphere, said second port means being connectable on the exterior of said container to power operated means; duct means mounted adjacent to the bottom wall and extending generally parallel to the side wall containing the first port means and flow-connected to the second port means; the duct means being perforated at various points along its length to permit the flow of air between its interior and exterior; so that the power operated means can generate a continuous stream of atmospheric air flowing in through one of said port means and out through the other to withdraw excess moisture from the grain and transfer it to the exterior atmosphere; the relative arrangement and spacing between the first and second port means serving to define a general flow path between them encompassing substantially all of the grain in the cargo.
 2. A container as claimed in claim 1; in which the duct means is an elongate tube secured to the bottom wall of the receptacle and extending substantially the full length of the receptacle.
 3. A container as claimed in claim 1; in which the duct means is in the form of an inverted U-shaped channel having lateral flanges along its length; the flanges being secured to the bottom wall, and the channel extending for the major portion of the length of the receptacle.
 4. A container as claimed in claim 1; in which the first port means extend along the major portion of the length of each of the opposed side walls in the vicinity of their upper margins; and the duct means extend substantially along the longitudinal axis of the bottom wall parallel to the side walls.
 5. A container as claimed in claim 1; further including: said power operated means and a housing detachably connected to the second port means, and a fan mounted in the housing.
 6. A container as claimed in claim 5; in which a mounting tube is fixed to the second port means and extends outward from the end wall for telescoping connection to the fan housing.
 7. A container as claimed in claim 1; in which at least one test port is formed in the side wall of the receptacle to permit insertion of a moisture testing probe; and a movable cap is provided to cover the port and prevent loss of grain and protect the cargo against inclement weather.
 8. A grain storage and shipping container which is stackable with similar containers for transporting grain from one location to another, said shipping container comprising: a receptacle for receiving and retaining a cargo of grain in loose bulk form; the receptacle being in the general form of a rectangular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means to overlie the open upper end of the receptacle in parallel relation to said bottom wall when closed so that another container can be stacked on top of said container; first airflow port means in the upper portion of at least one side wall; second airflow port means in the lower portion of one end wall; and a mounting tube fixed to the second port means and extending outward from the end wall for telescoping connection with the housing of a ventilating fan; and an upright column of rectangular cross section at each corner of the receptacle; at least the end wall containing the second port means being secured to the inner confronting faces of the two adjacent columns to define a shallow channel opening outward; the horizontal length of the mounting tube being no greater than the depth of the channel for protection from damage by longitudinally adjacent containers during shipping.
 9. A grain storage and shipping container comprising: a receptacle for receiving and retaining a cargo of grain in loose bulk form; the receptacle being in the general form of a rectangular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means overlying the upper end of the receptacle; and an upright hollow column at each corner of the receptacle secured to the upright margins Of the side walls and end walls; the upper end of each column extending above the top of the receptacle and being necked down to such extent that its outer lateral dimensions are less than the inner lateral dimensions of the remainder of the column to permit nesting insertion into the lower end of the corresponding column of a receptacle stacked upon the first receptacle in vertical relation; laterally extending apertures formed through the upper and lower ends of each column located to register with the corresponding apertures in the columns of vertically adjacent receptacles to receive locking pins for securing a plurality of receptacles in vertically assembled relation; and hoisting eyes secured to each corner of the receptacle and located to register with the corresponding hoisting eyes at the corners of horizontally adjacent receptacles to receive locking pins for securing a plurality of receptacles in horizontally assembled relation.
 10. A container as claimed in claim 9; in which the hoisting eyes extend fore and aft away from the receptacle in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the end wall.
 11. A container as claimed in claim 9; in which the hoisting eyes extend laterally away from the receptacle in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the side wall.
 12. An assembly of interlocked cargo containers comprising: a group of substantially identical receptacles, each in the general form of a rectangular box having upright side walls and end walls, a horizontal bottom wall, and closure means overlying the upper end of the receptacle, and an upright column at each corner secured to the upright margins of the side walls and end walls; the upper and lower ends of each column being formed for overlapping nesting relation with a vertically adjacent column and provided with registering lateral apertures to receive locking pins; lifting eyes at the corners of each receptacle located to register with corresponding lifting eyes on horizontally adjacent receptacles to receive locking pins; the group including at least two receptacles in endwise adjacency and at least two additional receptacles mounted in vertically stacked relation on the first two receptacles; locking pins passing through the registered apertures of the vertically nested columns to prevent vertical separation of the receptacles; and locking pins passing through the registered adjacent hoisting eyes to prevent horizontal separation of the receptacles.
 13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12, further including at least a second group of receptacles substantially identical to those of the first group, arranged in the same relation and located in sidewise adjacency with the first group; the hoisting eyes on each receptacle extending fore and aft away from the receptacle in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the end wall and with the apertures in the eyes of adjacent receptacles arranged in lateral registry; and elongate locking pins extending laterally through all of the eyes of each row and provided with abutments at their ends to prevent lateral separation of the groups of receptacles.
 14. A method of handling grain in loose bulk form from harvest in the field to delivery at a final destination, comprising: providing a plurality of ventilatable containers having open upper ends for loading and discharge and closure means for the upper ends; loading the loose grain in the field directly into the containers and securing the closure means in position; storing the grain in the containers for predetermined periods of time; periodically forcing streams of atmospheric air to flow through the container and through at least the major portion of the body of grain in each container for extended periods of time to remove excess moisture from the grain, repeating the procedure until the moisture content is reduced to a desired level; loading the containers onto transport means; and delivering the containerS to their ultimate destination, with the cargos remaining in their original containers from initial loading in the field to arrival at their ultimate destination.
 15. A method as claimed in claim 14; including periodically inserting a moisture-indicating probe through the wall of each container to determine the level of moisture content and the possible need for further treatment.
 16. A method as claimed in claim 14; including arranging the containers in groups on the transport means; each group comprising at least two sets; each set comprising at least two lower containers in endwise adjacency and at least two upper containers in endwise adjacency mounted directly on the lower containers; the sets being arranged in lateral adjacency; and interlocking the adjacent corners of the containers to produce a substantially unitary assembly and prevent inadvertent displacement of any container in any direction from the other containers in the assembly. 